Quintessential Improvement
by Big-Babidi
Summary: How training for the androids SHOULD have gone.


"So he just healed you right up?" Goku asked, mouth full of chicken.

Gohan nodded. "Yeah. I felt good as new. Actually, even better than that."

A few weeks into their training for the androids, and they'd decided to have a day of rest at Bulma's. Goku and his son sat on a wide table in the kitchen with Krillen on the other side. Portions of food large enough for a small village was spread across various plates and piled high. Its quantity diminished by the second thanks to Son Goku's infamous appetite.

Vegeta and Piccolo stood leaning against walls on opposite ends, both trying hard to appear nonchalant. With the namek hanging on to Gohan's every word and the saiyan eyeing a particularly delicious looking slab of meat, no one bought the act.

"It sure came in handy. You should've seen that monster's face." Krillen joined in. The topic of conversation had shifted to the battle against Frieza. More specifically, the fight's events before Goku's arrival. "He was just quivering with rage."

"And you were just quivering with fear." Gohan teased.

Krillen took it in stride. "Can't argue with that."

"That's awesome. Nice work Gohan." Goku smiled. To think his son could harm one of the strongest fighters in the universe at the age of five. Incredible. He then turned to the room's other saiyan. "Did that kid's healing help you Vegeta?"

"Shut up Kakarot."

"Yeah it did. He got way stronger too." Gohan answered for him, stabbing his fork into a carrot.

Krillen chuckled. "Ya know, it's too bad Dende didn't stay on Earth. If you could get power-ups like that all day, those androids wouldn't know what hit them."

Everyone froze.

And got an idea.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<br>**I don't own _Dragon Ball Z_. Crazy huh?

**Summary  
><strong>How training for the androids _should_ have went.

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><p>Quintessential Improvement<p>

By Big-Babidi

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><p>The nameks had done a great job choosing their new planet. Dubbed New Namek, it had the same green skies, the same plains and same trees of blue grass as their former home. And like the old Namek, its inhabitants had made settlements and maintained lush vegetation via extensive farm work, with the dragon balls scattered among seven villages.<p>

It was in the middle of one of those fields that a party of five transported to the planet.

"This should be it," Goku said, fingers still pressed to his forehead.

"No doubt about that. This is clearly Namek." Krillen looked around, amazed at the planet's similarities. The others felt the same.

"Gohan? And Krillen and Piccolo? Is that you?" One of the nameks approached them.

"You bet! How's it hanging you guys?" Krillen smiled, waving. Pleasantries quickly exchanged between the newcomers and planet residents.

Except one.

"I don't care about your stupid reunion!" Vegeta barked. This touchy feely crap gave him the sudden urge to vomit. Preferably on Kakarot, the loser. "Where's the runt from before? We've got training to do!"

"Who?" A namek asked.

"A runt?" The person beside him questioned.

Vegeta could feel his eye twitching.

"I don't know." Another shrugged.

"Yeah. Beats me."

Vegeta's fist clenched.

"Me neither."

Vegeta grit his teeth. If this continued the fate of another namekian village would end at his hands.

"He's talking about Dende you guys." Gohan supplied helpfully.

"Oh, well why didn't he say so? Dende's around here somewhere." A namek nodded to the right, at another among his race of smaller stature closing in on their location.

"Gohan! Hey!" Dende called, thrilled to see his friend. As someone with no acquaintances his own age, Gohan felt equal satisfaction. The two ran to each other with childish exuberance.

"Hey namekian brat, watch this!" Without warning, Vegeta placed a hand on Gohan's chest, a powerful blast of ki ripped through the young demi-saiyan's body before anyone could take action. Gohan fell, eyes and mouth wide open and barely moving.

"Gohan!" Goku and Krillen shouted simultaneously, kneeling by a fallen son and friend.

"Vegeta you bastard!" Piccolo roared. The other nameks cringed in disgust, some looking away while others approached the injured child and the ones remaining ready to tear Vegeta's face off.

"Oh keep your retarded turban on idiot." His attention shifted to Dende before the situation got out of hand. "Runt, hurry up and heal the brat."

His demand proved unnecessary. Palms placed on his friend, a cocoon of yellow energy already surrounded Gohan's body. The healing process took little time, and the small demi-saiyan was back on his feet. Far from his first experience under Dende's aid, he knew what transpired the instant his eyes opened. "Thanks Dende!"

"Anytime. How do you feel?"

"Great!" He flexed his arm. "I feel stronger than ever!"

"Really?" A namek asked. Others looked on in amazement. The idea of gaining power after recovery seemed entirely nonsensical.

Vegeta crossed his arms. "Prove it."

Everyone collectively glared at him and the prince found it difficult to maintain his smirk.

"Fine." Gohan took to the skies above and away from the village. Arms and legs bent, he yelled to the skies, gathering power at an astonishing rate. His body shook along with the planet. Along with the clouds that pushed away. Along with the waves increasing in intensity. Along with the mountain below that erupted into pebbles. The plains followed suit, dirt and grass shooting upward in a frenzy.

His friends chatted in amazement.

"Whoa! His power skyrocketed yet again!" Krillen pumped his fist.

Goku smiled. "No kidding! Amazing!"

"He actually got stronger! That's incredible!" One of the nameks joined in.

"Forget him, _I'm_ the one that blasted him." Vegeta interrupted. The prince puffed his chest with arms stretched wide. "Surely _someone_ is looking for vengeance."

"Don't have to ask twice," said Piccolo. The namek already appeared behind him, two fingers pressed directly against Vegeta's spine. His mouth formed a grin so feral it hadn't seen the light since his Goku-hating demon days. "Special Beam Cannon!"

* * *

><p>Three years had passed, and at 10 A.M. on May 12, chaos spread through the island of Amenbo. The pair of androids had arrived, and begun their execution towards humanity. Krillen escorted Yamcha to safety after becoming one of the first victims. The prophesized world-ending duo faced Goku, Piccolo and Tien.<p>

"We can't fight in a place like this. There are too many innocents around! We have to escort them out of the city,"

"I agree. It is far too crowded here. There are many who would get in the way. I will see to it that they do not." The old androids eyes glowed crimson before ejecting a trio of dual ki attacks in a straight line. Goku dodged the blast, resulting in an explosion killing hundreds. Simply turning his head in short intervals, its disastrous power spread through almost half the city.

Goku had enough.

He responded with his fist, empowered by a loud and angry battle cry.

Considering earlier calculations, the android expected Goku's punch to inflict little to no damage. A slight budge at most.

He did not expect to find himself crashing through a building over thirty feet away.

The other android, a round pale machine, looked on to the aftermath. Its soulless eyes widened considerably. Its master's hat laying at his feet cleared any doubts that Android 20 had stood near it seconds ago, and now far _far_ away thanks to a single hit.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll be smarter than your friend and leave these people alone." Piccolo warned Android 19.

None could tell when the elder android got up. Wherever it emerged from the rubble, it far exceeded their eyesight. In the blink of an eye, it reappeared by the other machine.

"I would advise against feeling overconfident Son Goku. Catching me off guard will only work once." Android 20 narrowed its eyes at the saiyan. A powerful fighter for sure, but to improve his strength by this magnitude? The android's eyes flashed, conducting a quick analysis of its nemesis. Scanners indicated an abnormality from within Goku, originating at the heart. Good. Perhaps that super punch came with a price. One that would spell certain death for the executioner of his Red Ribbon Army.

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><p>"Soon Goku, I will have all of your energy. None of your friends will have a chance against me." Android 19 laughed, seated atop of Goku and merrily absorbing his power. The fight started catastrophically against it, as evidenced by the android's torn clothing, oil leaks and missing finger. But eventually the super saiyan tired out and lost the upper hand. Now another hand was placed around Goku's neck, sucking his life like a parasite.<p>

Until Vegeta stepped in with a vicious kick backed by three years of unique training on New Namek.

Like Android 20, the rushed surprise attack inflicted far more damage than predicted.

Unlike Android 20, the kick took the fat machine's head far away from its body.

"No one kills Kakarot while I'm around. Destiny has reserved that pleasure for huh?" He blinked at the sight of his decapitated opponent, followed by bursting into laughter. "Dead already? Really? Oh this is going to be easy. Way too easy! Hahahaha!"

The android begun another analysis, but this one proved different. Frowning at the result, it double checked its examination only to arrive at the same conclusion. According to its scanners, Vegeta had nothing wrong from within, instead having a clean bill of health. Vegeta felt nothing beside his usual thirst for battle.

"What? This doesn't make sense! Not even Goku could do that!" 20 exclaimed.

"Oh please! Don't lump me in the same boat as Kakarot! He's _only_ a super saiyan!" For his entire life he'd wanted that yellow aura, that illustrious title and that legendary power, it felt so liberating and absolutely incredible to know he didn't need it anymore. Among the saiyans on Namek, none received Dende's healing like Vegeta. His universal asshole status finally paid off. From the weakest namekian to Son Gohan to Piccolo, almost everyone among New Namek would blast a hole through him without the slightest hesitation. His power level grew in millions by the hour. Vegeta curled his fist in front of his face. "And now you'll get to see my power!"

"Oh hell yeah!" Krillen cheered, raising a fist to the air. "Looks like our future's gonna be great!"

"Yeah it will!" Tien agreed.

Faced with overwhelming odds, Android 20 stood still save for opening its hands toward the ground, orbs or energy forming from both palms. The ensuing ki blast of titanic proportions caught everyone by surprise, and the android used this opportunity to escape.

To handle this strength, its prized possessions would see activation. The saiyan prince stood no chance against 17 and 18.

* * *

><p>As Trunks predicted, when the androids that destroyed his world awakened, their creator was the first victim. The super saiyan from the future joined the team during their pursuit of Dr. Gero, who had been Android 20 all along. After witnessing the doctor's destruction, Vegeta followed the androids to a highway on the countryside.<p>

When the others caught up, the female android had one less arm than their last encounter.

"Vegeta is far beyond what Dr. Gero estimated." Android 17 snarled beside her. What began as his sister teaching a lesson to someone pathetic turned into a desperate battle for survival. "We'll take him together 18. That bastard will pay for what he's done."

"Oh no you don't!" Nine years old and the third saiyan that trained on New Namek, Son Gohan knew it was time to fight. Where Vegeta recovered from near death the most, he was a close second. He did nothing when the fat android hurt his father. He wouldn't stand by again. "Your fight is with me!"

"Oh really? I suppose we should be quaking in fear. Consider yourself lucky Vegeta's grabbed enough of our attention not to waste our time with you." 17 said, his condescension easily noticeable.

"Say that as much as you want now, but you'll be sorry!" Gohan promised.

"Now that doesn't sound very nice, especially since I've already made it clear you're not worth the effort. Maybe you're simply too young to understand that I'm saving you from a certain path of incredible pain," He said smugly.

"Gohan. I know your training has improved your fighting strength tremendously, but remember that we'll cover you." Piccolo reminded him. Krillen and Tien nodded tensely.

"Right!" Gohan assumed his most common fighting stance.

Android 18 sighed. "Just get rid of them 17. It would be annoying if those weaklings jumped in, and I can easily hold off Vegeta long enough for you to take care of them."

Her brother smirked. "Well alright. I'd rather take on Goku, but his brat is good enough for now."

Android 17 went on the offensive, appearing behind the child delivering a vicious swipe that hit nothing but air. "What?"

As Gohan took to the skies, the android continued his assault. A series of punches and kicks launched at him, but none could connect. Arms and knees moved defensively with incredible speed, Gohan blocked each attack effortlessly, angering the android further with each passing second.

"Why can't I hit you? This can't be happening!" 17 would've ranted more, but a nine year old's fist shut him up quick. Soaring through a nearby mountain, the android fumbled on the ground several yards before stopping, his signature orange scarf ripped in two on the way. Getting up quickly, he looked for his opponent. Sadly, his search pointed in the wrong direction.

Behind the android, Gohan raised both arms. His hands intersected above his head. "Masenko…"

17 tried turning around, typically confident eyes now widened in terror.

"Ha!"

The powerful blast destroyed much of the terrain, an area of land now reduced to a lake. At the attack's core, the android had been engulfed in his entirety. Nothing was left behind.

Meanwhile, the female android had similar luck against the prince of all saiyans.

Android 18's attempted punch literally fell right into Vegeta's hand. Without hesitation, he crushed her hand, taking some delight in her pained scream. But he wouldn't enjoy himself fully. Not yet. His other hand's palm was quickly shoved in her face. She tried to budge but his grip proved too powerful. "Big Bang Attack!"

All that remained of the female android was the arm in Vegeta's grasp.

Trunks stood gobsmacked, unsure if the scene witnessed truly happened. Countless nights he'd fearfully spent in his world, running and hiding and cowering because of the android's unbelievable power. And yet in this timeline his father and Gohan had destroyed the androids without breaking a sweat! And without requiring the frightening power boost of a super saiyan no less! Impossible!

"Only one left."

The heroes faced Android 16, the one whose sole purpose was killing Son Goku. The red-haired machine seemed awfully determined to ignore them and focus on nearby animals.

"I like birds. They are pretty."

Vegeta cracked his knuckles.

Gohan powered up.

* * *

><p>"You're that weird monster that was in the time machine, aren't you?" Growled Gohan. Trunks confirmed they had the exact machine, and Gohan easily connected the dots at seeing this opponent and its shed skin. Coming from a later future than Trunks, it stole the time machine and possibly hurt or killed the last remaining saiyan in the process.<p>

The strange green creature smirked. "So you noticed that. I'm impress-"

"I don't care about that crap. Die!" Vegeta charged angrily. He felt Kakarot's energy from it, which was reason enough for an immediate assbeating.

"Silly Vegeta, you really think you can holy shit that's fast!"

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><p>"It's over."<p>

The team stood in the ruins of Ginger Town, a city drained of life by the monster they'd slain. With this victory and the android's destruction, Earth had been saved from becoming a hellish playground for two cybernetic crazy siblings.

"For three years we prepared for them and it paid off. We did it." Piccolo stood with arms crossed, looking upward.

Tien smiled. "Tell me about it. I guess all that's left is to gather the Dragonballs and bring back the victims of Dr. Gero."

Krillen nodded. "Sure, I'm in. What about everybody else?"

"Sorry guys, but I want to check on my dad," Gohan said. With dangerous androids in pieces, Goku's health became his only major concern. He'd worry about the three year gap in his studies later, assuming his mother let him live long enough to feel regret.

"Don't sweat it kid. What about you Trunks?"

"Huh? I suppose I'll tag along. I don't think I'm ready to go back home yet." Trunks looked back and forth at Gohan and Vegeta. Where his mother wanted a chance for the past, he desired one for the future. If he could only find the secret to their power, his world could finally start the healing process.

"Those androids still giving you trouble?" Tien asked.

"Of course they are. Their simply too powerful for me." Trunks closed his eyes, slightly shaking.

The short fighter grinned. "Well in that case... when Goku gets better, how about a trip to New Namek?"

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><p>Feel free to leave a review please!<p> 


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